New approaches to the “dreaded” work term report: Encouraging reflective student practice

1. New approaches to the “dreaded” work term report: Encouraging reflective student practice

2. Today’s Goals • Consider new approaches to promoting reflective practice amongst our co-op students • Engage all session attendees in a discussion regarding best practice regarding work term reports • Identify potential obstacles to implementing new work term formats (e.g. staff time; faculty engagement; on-line resources)

3. Co-op Professional Development Projects UBC Arts Co-op Program Sheila Ashwell University of British Columbia

4. Background Traditional format Learning Objectives | Final Report | End-of-Term Evaluation- Submitted in person, paper format, in portfolio Challenges: • Marking load for staff • Poorly written assignments; lack of interest! • Repetitive over 3-5 work terms • Following-up and monitoring labour-intensive

5. Feedback from Student Survey • Unsure of purposeof assignments • Less school-like, more work-based • Prefer 5 short over 1 large • Instructions not enough/unclear • More variety, esp. 8-month terms

6. Purpose / Current Format • Help students build work portfolio • Provide structured career & skill development opportunities • 5 key assignments per work term, 1 due each month

7. Skill Development Projects

8. Reflective Seminars and E-Portfolios New approaches at Mount Saint Vincent Scott Daniels Mount Saint Vincent University

9. Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) • Reflective Seminars • E-portfolios

10. MSVU – Reflective Seminars What is mentorship? “Been there, done that”

11. MSVU – Reflective Seminars Senior business and tourism co-op students present a reflective seminar to new co-op students where they share their experiences, advice and lessons learned with new co-op students

12. MSVU – E-Portfolios Senior public relations co-op students complete a personal reflection of their professional experiences and develop an e-portfolio

13. MSVU – E-Portfolios Sample e-portfolio

14. MSVU – Student Feedback Surveyed 171 PR students and had a 38% response rate We asked students to assess the effectiveness of each project in terms of reflecting on their experiences

15. MSVU – Student Feedback Which work term project did you find the most beneficial for thinking about what you learned during co-op? • Work term report – 4% • Portfolio – 58% • Reflective seminar – 38%

16. MSVU – Student Feedback How effective was the work term report in providing an opportunity to reflect upon what you learned during your work term? • Not effective – 47% • Effective – 45% • Very effective – 8%

17. MSVU – Student Feedback How effective was the portfolio in providing an opportunity to reflect upon what you learned during your work term? • Not effective – 0% • Effective – 38% • Very effective – 62%

18. MSVU – Student Feedback How effective was the reflective seminar in providing an opportunity to reflect upon what you learned during your work term? • Not effective – 8% • Effective – 31% • Very effective – 61%

19. The Power of the Blog blog [blawg, blog] noun1.a website containing a writer's or group of writers' own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and links to other websites. Charlene Marion Bishop’s University

20. Evaluation Evolution

21. Competency Approach • Frederick T. Evers & JamesC. Rush • The Bases of Competence: Skill Development During the Transition from University to Work • Published in: Management Learning 1996 27:275

23. Why Change? blog [blawg, blog] noun1.a website containing a writer's or group of writers' own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and links to other websites. There was just something missing.

24. Why Change? • Students` dissatisfaction with the report • Questioned its relevance • What were they learning • Hard to remember everything at the end • Too long and boring • My desire to use a modern forum • Use a platform students are used to • Less formal and more meaningful and reflective • Measure progression • Final report is 1 dimensional • Blogs allow you to see students` growth over their WT

28. Results Co-op Coordinator • View the actual progression • See them grow as professionals • More balanced workload • Catch problems as they arise • Students are more honest Co-op Students • 97% of students preferred this method of reporting • Prefer the 5 smaller works over time • Enjoy the less formal writing style • Allows them to see their own progression • See a sense of accomplishment

29. Contact Information Lisa Barty Manager, Science Career & Co-operative Education McMaster University bartyl@mcmaster.ca Sheila Ashwell Associate Director Arts Co-op Program University of British Columbia sheila.ashwell@ubc.ca Scott Daniels Manager, Co-operative Education Mount Saint Vincent University scott.daniels@msvu.ca Charlene Marion Co-operative Education Coordinator Bishop’s University cmarion@ubishops.ca